When a plant, such as a tree, a bush or a shrub, is harvested for transplanting or transplanted from one place to another, it is advisable to leave a certain amount of soil around a root system of the plant. This network of roots and the soil clinging to the roots is known as a root ball, no matter the size or shape, or whether on a plant grown in a field or in a container. This root ball is necessary to provide protection, moisture and nutrients to the roots.
The root ball should be protected when transporting a plant to a local distributor or end user. Many growers protect the root ball by either having the root ball in a plant container or wrapping the root ball with burlap and wire.
A plant may be transplanted into a container for transporting or it may be grown in the container. Plant containers come in various sizes to accommodate the root balls of various size plants. The root ball plus the amount of soil necessary to fill these containers around the root ball often makes the containers heavy. For example, a semi-mature Queen Palm tree, approximately 60 inches high, in a fifteen gallon container, may weigh around 80 pounds. This excessive weight makes the plant difficult to move and transport, raising the risk of injury for those transporting and handling the plant, particularly if a container must be removed prior to planting.
Further still, soil in a plant container can be messy. The soil may spill from the container during shipping and handling, often due to vibration that occurs during loading and transit of the plant. This may cause damage to the roots of the plant and/or spillage of soil from the top of the container. Also, if enough soil spills from the container, the plant itself may shift in the container, causing damage to the roots. Spilled soil may also cause a mess in the shipping vehicle, leading to safety concerns and cleanup costs. If the plant is being transplanted indoors, for example, into a hotel or mall, any spilled soil may damage floors or carpets. Also, damage often occurs to the roots of the plant when removing the root ball from the container, as well as when moving the root ball to its final location after removal from the container.
For plants not transported in a container, burlap wrapping and wire maintain the soil around the root ball. However, these provide minimal protection for the root system. For example, the burlap wrapping provides no protection if the plant is dropped. Also, like with plants in containers, damage often occurs to the roots of the plant when removing the burlap and wire from around the root ball before planting, as well as when moving the root ball to its final location.